The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kisoro, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Rose Kabagyeni has won the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party primaries for the Kisoro Woman MP race.
Kabagyeni, the Senior Presidential Advisor on Agriculture was announced winner with 39,941 votes. Her closest rival Grace Ngabirano Akifeza got 39197 votes. Irene Mahirwe got 1729, Brenda Fancy Nirere 1593, Faith Winfred Igiraneza 510, Jemimah Irankunda 363, Blessed Kitentera 248, while Hellen Mbonye trailed with 111 votes.
She was declared winner by Tanga Odoi, the NRM Party Electoral Commission Chairperson.
During the tallying, Akifeza and Kabagyeni raised counter accusations citing massive irregularities. Akifeza claimed that total votes were higher than total number of voters in the register. Kabagyeni also claimed that Akifeza ferried students of Metropolitan University to vote at various polling stations yet they were not in the register.
However Odoi declined to consider the claims saying that there was no proof.
Akifeza denounced the results claiming that the exercise was sham since it involved vote rigging in favor of Kabagyeni. She also protested harassment of her supporters and polling agents by those supporting Kabangyeni.
The by-election will be held next month to replace Sarah Mateke Nyirabashitsi who died on September 7, after suffering a heart attack.
Kabagyeni was born on August 4, 1974 in Nyakabande Subcounty in Kisoro Distric. She went to Gikoro Primary School where she completed primary seven in 1987.
In 1990, she completed her Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) at Seseme Girls secondary school in Kisoro. She obtained her first certificate in agriculture in 1995 and a diploma in agriculture from the Bukalasa Agricultural College in 2000.
In 2004, Kabagyenyi graduated with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from Makerere University in Kampala. She obtained her second diploma in 2011 and a second certificate in Monitoring and Evaluation from the Uganda Management Institute in 2013.
In 2014, Kabagenyi graduated with a Master’s degree in Agriculture from Makerere University. From 1997 to 2000, she worked as the agricultural officer for the Kisoro local government and as a district agricultural officer for the Kisoro District from 2007 to 2010.
Kabagyeni also served as a consultant for National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), the job she relinquished in 2016 to stand for Kisoro District woman Member of Parliament, where she defeated then incumbent Sarah Nyirabashitsi.
In 2021 elections she contested on the same seat again but lost to Nyirabashitsi.
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